arienette

this is a petition regarding the treatment of two elephants at the Detroit Zoo. yes, i am a tree-hugging hippie when it comes to animals. please read it and go to the website (linked below) to sign it if you agree.

To: The American Zoo and Aquarium Association
Recently, The American Zoo and Aquarium Association condemned the Detroit Zoo's decision to retire aging elephants Winky and Wanda to an elephant sanctuary, instead insisting that the elephants be sent to the Columbus Zoo.

The Detroit Zoo's decision to send Winky and Wanda to a sanctuary was very compassionate and kind. At a sanctuary Winky and Wanda will have a beautiful retirement roaming open space with other elephants and enjoying exercise.

Winky and Wanda suffer from arthritis and desperately require room to exercise on natural substrate. The Columbus Zoo currently houses five elephants on just a few acres of meager space for elephants who roam upwards of 50 miles per day in the wild.

In addition, the Columbus Zoo still practices an outdated, circus-style form of elephant management that focuses on dominance and the imposition of fear, both of which are established with the use of bullhooks and chains which cause injuries. The Columbus Zoo also breeds elephants, which serves no conservation purpose, as none of the offspring will ever be released into the wild. At ages 52 and 46, Winky and Wanda are beyond breeding age and would serve no purpose for the zoo industry's breeding program.

We beseech you to take action in favor of Winky and Wanda. Their future can be peaceful at a sanctuary. To keep them in a zoo any longer would be unkind and inhumane.

I thank you for your concern with the public opinion regarding this issue.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned
click here to go to the petition.
you can learn more at the detroit free press and the detroit zoo's website